There are too many ‘aesthetic practitioners’, ‘injectors’, ‘cosmetic nurse injectors’ and ‘cosmetic doctors’ offering non-surgical facial aesthetics treatments, and some of them mass advertise using different platforms including social media and print advertorials. Some providers post photos of work they have done, promoting ‘new lips’, ‘new cheeks’ etc. So, if you are considering making your first appointment to consult with an aesthetic practitioner, what should you keep in mind? 

In this article, I would like to share with you my top tips in choosing your aesthetic practitioner for your first consultation.

• Word of mouth

Ask your friends and family. Do not feel embarrassed or afraid to ask your friends, family, colleagues for recommendations. More and more people are having cosmetic injectable treatments and are surprisingly open to share their experience with you.

• Is the injector a medical professional?

There are different products available to treat wrinkles: dermal fillers or botulinum toxin. These two types of products are respectively classified as medical device and medicine subject to regulation. As a result, only authorized individuals can purchase them. Non-healthcare professionals such as beauticians have found ways to purchase their dermal fillers on the Internet or from unscrupulous suppliers. So, be careful and carry out your due diligence prior to your first appointment.

• Relevant Experience

‘Relevant’ is the word I would like to emphasize. Not all injectors are good at administering all the treatments they offer. Each injectable treatment requires different skills and techniques. You can imagine that being good at bog-standard injections for lines and wrinkles does not mean the practitioner is skilled in advanced lip shaping and contouring with dermal filler.

So, to find the right practitioner, you need to arrange for a consultation with the practitioner to determine if they have the ‘relevant’ experience of administering the specific procedure you are interested in. Have a look at their displayed work on social media and use this to help you decide if their style and aesthetic vision aligns with your needs. Some injectors treat predominantly younger patients and some focus more on the older group.

• Full time vs part time

Does the practitioner work full time in the clinic? How many years have they been working in the field of cosmetic medicine? And most importantly, do they keep their skills and knowledge up to date by attending courses and conferences? This is a rapidly evolving field; techniques and products are changing all the time. Make sure the practitioners you have shortlisted have extensive clinical experience in this field, and do not simply ‘dabble’ in cosmetic injectables alongside their regular career.

• A reputable leader

Every clinic has a business/trading name but there is an identifiable person behind it. Is that person a leader in the field? Are they invited to speak or lecture at conferences? Are their skills and knowledge sought by their peers?

Why is this important? If someone is happy to stake their professional and personal reputation on the quality of the services and treatments they offer, then that is likely a reliable indication that you are in good hands.

• Aesthetic vision

As they say, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. This is the reason why it is important to find a good cosmetic practitioner whose aesthetic vision aligns with what YOU wish to achieve. While word of mouth recommendations can sometimes be relied upon, you should always have a face-to-face consultation with the practitioner to determine if both of you share the same views about what can be done to achieve results which are both natural and age appropriate.

Feel free to ask to see some before and after pictures of their work. Visit their social media platforms where they display their work.

• Don’t shop for a bargain

As the saying goes, ‘you get what you pay for’. While expensive fees do not always guarantee the best results, going cheap is a gamble I do not recommend. This is especially true in the world of cosmetic injectables. There are many different brands of dermal filler in the Europe. Premium brands have the safety profiles established through many years of robust research and developmental processes and are backed by stringent clinical studies.

Try to avoid ‘special offers’. As the old adage goes: discounted price means discounted service – something you really do not want when you are dealing with something as important as your face!

Dr. Kieren Bong

Aesthetic Doctor

UK

Dr Bong is the founder of the successful Essence Medical Cosmetic Clinic in Glasgow. He is recognized as a key opinion leader for Teosyal's dermal fillers and renowned trainer and speaker in advanced dermal filler procedures.